“It’s definitely out of the question. It's not gonna happen”: Two weeks ago, a Sepultura reunion looked likely – but now Max Cavalera has changed his mind
Having already buried the hatchet with his brother, Igor, Cavalera says there’s no longer any need for a classic-era Sepultura return
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Max Cavalera has renounced his desire for a Sepultura reunion just two weeks after saying otherwise.
The band will play its final shows in 2024. But for many fans, the current iteration – which comprises classic-era guitarist Andreas Kisser and bass player Paulo Jr., as well as vocalist Derrick Green and drummer Greyson Nekrutman – isn't the most desired configuration.
That’s because there’s a distinct absence of the Cavalera brothers: guitarist/vocalist Max and drummer Igor, who founded the South American thrash outfit in 1984.
Max unceremoniously quit the outfit 12 years later in a well-documented fallout with his brother. Wounds were healed and their relationship rekindled in 2006, with the pair forming Cavalera Conspiracy.
And it’s because of the “magic” of that band that Max has seemingly cooled his interest in a Sepultura swan song.
He had seemingly left the door open for a reunion when talking to Hard Rock Greecein June, saying he'd be up for it “as long as we do it the right way”. He also said he “didn’t understand” why the band was calling it quits.
Now, in conversation with Metal Injection, he’s emphasized his focus on what he and his brother have going on with Cavalera Conspiracy instead.
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“The more the time passes by,” he says, “the more I feel that I don’t need to [reunite with Sepultura]. The real reunion is between myself and Igor, and I did that. It’s pure magic and amazing what we’re doing right now.
(Image credit: Gina Wetzler/Redferns)
“If we end up doing a Sepultura reunion, it’s almost like we can't go back to the Cavalera thing, you know?” he continues. “It won’t really make sense.
“People probably will be like, ‘I don’t want to go watch Cavalera if they’re doing a real reunion.’ To me, I don’t want to do that because I love what we have here in Cavalera now. It’s so badass.”
He then closed with a definitive statement, saying: “It’s definitely out of the question. You can ask Igor the same question. He doesn't want to do it either. It's not gonna happen.”
The brothers have recently re-recorded three Sepultura records together, the Bestial Devastation EP (1985), debut album Morbid Visions (1986), and sophomore LP Schizophrenia (1987).
This underscores their focus on working together under the Cavalera Conspiracy moniker, even if their work is Sepultura-slanted.
A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.
